Last article, I wrote about the early start that squirrel season receives this year, starting Tuesday, and as you read this, we’ve had a week and a piece for some goose action. The SEC got off to a great start for Week 1, and there’s plenty more great football to be had coming down the stretch.

We also talked about some hunting with our guns pointed up at the sky, with dove season kicking off. Deer season is also just around the corner, and bow season will be upon us before you know it.

Now, if that doesn’t get kickstart your interest, that’s fine. There’s even more to do. As the summer heat fades, and the water cools off a bit, the lakes will clear out as the summer vacationers pack their bags and head home. In fact, around the end of October, the water’s just perfect for some Stripe fishing on Lake Martin.

Striped Bass, or Stripers, are a big old breed of fish that can put up a good fight. You can catch them with some good tackle and some solid bait. Shad makes for some great live bait, and stripers will munch on just about anything you can slap on a hook. The current world record for a land-locked Striper was caught by a man on the Warrior River, Mr. James Bramlett, weighing in at 70.6 pounds. If that isn’t enough fish for you, then I don’t know what to tell you.

Now, if you’re wondering why I specifically mentioned it being landlocked, that’s because stripers are anadromous fish, meaning they go between salt and fresh water. They typically come to fresh water to spawn, then head back downstream to spend the majority of their lives in salt water. However, when dams are built, or stripers are artificially stocked, they become landlocked, and cannot return to the ocean. However, the fish are just as fine being in freshwater, so in some places, there are established populations of stripers that never taste a lick of salt water.

Now, Lake Martin does not have a natural breeding population at this time, according to state experts, so the sate of Alabama, with some help from Auburn University, stocks over 130,000 stripers into the lake every year.Though the accepted stance is that Lake Martin isn’t holding a breeding population, some fishing guides believe that the tailwaters of the Tallapoosa can do the trick.

Speaking of guide services, Striped Bass are a blast to fish for, and my buddy David Hare, owner of Alex City Guide Service, is the man to talk to if you’re interested in a trip out to fish some stripers up on Lake Martin.Their crew knows how to get you into the action, so if you’re interested in a fishing trip, drop by their website at http://www.alexcityguideservice.com. You can also find them on Facebook.

I’m getting that itch for some hunting and fishing, just like I know all of you are. We’ve worked on our tans this summer, sweated out every bit we can in this Alabama heat, and we’ve got football on the brain. But that’s OK because it’s coming back around. So grab your gear, your camo, your ammo, and your hook and line, and go get’em.

Rob Newman and Steve Long can be heard on their Cast & Blast radio show from 7-9 a.m. on Sports radio 740-AM. Please send any comments or ideas about their column to sports@montgomeryadvertiser.com.